IV. T he Jecond , or Common Female Wild 
Mercury. Its Root , Stalks, and manner of grow- 
ing is much like the former : Its Leaves are Idler, 
nor fo (harp pointed, have fewer Veins, and loiter 
in feeling, and ftandihg upon longer foot Stalks. 
From the Joints come forth fuch like long Stalks, 
having long fpikes of green'd h Flowers, and which 
arc longer than the Spikes of the former Common 
tern, ile trench Mercury , with many lmall Threads 
in them, which yield no more Seed than the 
Spikes and Flowers of that other female Mercu- 
ry does. 
V. The third , or True Dogs Mercury of 
Baufyinus. It bar a white , long, and fibrous Root , 
fp reading it felf round about in the Earth. The 
riant it felf is render, lmall, and fappy, and 
Springs up like unto the full Common french 
Mercury , with a round, green, crefted Stalk, 
about a Foot or more high, fet with many 
Joints , and branching forth from every Joint * 
from whence come forth, at the firft, two fmall 
Leaves, and fomewhat round like unto Chick-weed ; 
after which, fpring forth two others, from the fame 
Joint, which are much larger and broader: and 
from the fame place alfo come after wards fe- 
veral other Leaves, fmaller than the firft two: 
and this proportion it holds ; not at one Joint 
alone, but at every Joint through out the whole 
Plant, from rhe loweft Joint almoll of the Stalk 
and Branches, up to the top. From whence 
come forth three or four fmall, whitifh green 
Flowers, with many Threads in the midft of 
them, which turn into fmall, hard, round See l, 
like unto thofe of the Common Male French 
Mercury , but fomething lefter- which are green 
at the firft, but of a blackifti afh color when 
they are ripe. 
VI. The fourth , or Codded Wild Mercury, Efc. 
Its Root is blackifh and thready , perifhing every 
year: which fends up a round Jointed Stalk, about 
two Feet high fometimes, branching it felf, from 
thence in many places, whereat continually grows 
but one Leaf, upon a very {lender rough foot Stalk, 
molt like unto thofe of the french Common Mer- 
cury , but longer pointed, and fomething fmaller 
at the Stalk ; not fo finely, but as it were grofly 
indented about the edges, being thinner, lofter, 
and of a blewifh green color. From every Joint 
with the Leaf^ from the middle upwards, and at 
the tops of the Branches alfo, comes forth one 
long brown foot Stalk, as finall and fine almoft as 
a Horfe flair , bearing one Flower thereon , -and 
fometimes two or three, fomewhat dole toge- 
ther, hanging downwards * and compofed of fix 
Leaves apiece, fome thing like to thofe of Hollow 
Root or Cavious fumitory , but greater; of a fair 
Gold -yellow color, which are fometimes alfo as 
Bauhinm fays, found of a paler color: two of 
them which ftand like Wings at the fides, are 
larger than the othef two which ftand under them, 
which are fmall and round} the loweft is longer 
than the other two fmall ones, and broad at the 
end } the uppermoft ends in a (hort crooked Horn 
or Heel, like a Spur, behind ; the bottom on the 
infide is whiter than the reft, which have fome- 
times red fpots in them. After thefe Flowers are 
pail, fmall, long pointed Pods come up in their 
places, which hang downwards, and are ftriped 
as_ it were all the length of them, in which is con- 
tained fmall, long, and fomewhat flat Seed of a 
dusky color, which is very difficult to be ga- 
thered, for that even before* it is through ripe, if 
it be but very lightly handled, or but juft touched, 
the Pods will break , and twine and twift them- 
felves a little, as the Husk or Pods of fome certain 
Ruffes will do, and the Seed will leap forth of 
its own accord, with fuch a kind of violence, that it 
is not to be caught ; yea for rhe moft parr, the very 
making of rhe Branches by the wind, will caufe 
the Podds to break open, dnd fired their Seed on 
the Ground, where the ripeft may heft be gathered 
or pickt up, if lookt after in Time. The tafteof this 
Herb is poor and waterifh while green, as Co- 
lumna fays, and much the lame when dried; 
yet Lobel lays, it is Venomous; but whether 
there be any danger in taking of it inwardly, 
is uncertain , v\e knowing nothing of it by 
experience, but what vulgar hear-fay has delivered 
to us. 
VII. The Places. The firft and fecond of thefe 
are found growing Wild in leveral places in Kent 
and el few here, but the Female Kind is more feldom 
found than the Male : Gerard fays, he found it in 
many places about Green-hithe , Swainfcombe Vil- 
lage, Gravefend and Southf.ee t in Kent, alfo in 
Hampfied Wood four Miles from London , and in all 
the Villages thereabouts. The third is not found 
Wild with us, as it is in Spain and Italy, but is on- 
ly Nurfed up in Gardens. The laft grows in the 
(hady Woods of France, Germany, and Italy ; it 
has alfo been found by the (hady Woods fide of 
the Mountains and Vallies in Wales , by one Mr. 
George Bowles, but is alfo Nurft up in our Gar- 
dens, for its rarity, where in fhadie places, it 
grows and flourifhes very well. 
VIII. The Times. The firft three Flower in the 
Summer Months, as June, July and Augufr ; 
all the Summer long fays Gerard, until extream 
Froft comes and nips them. The fourth or laft 
Flowers about the middle and end. of Auguft in 
the Fields, but in our Gardens in June and July , 
and prefently after its Flowering it yields its Seed, 
which cannot be gathered from the Plant, without 
very much care. 
IX. The Qualities , Specification , Preparations , 
and Virtues of the three firft of thefe, are faid to 
be the lame with thole of the French Mercuiy in 
the former Chapter, fo that we (hall fay no more 
of them here. 
X. As to the Codded Mercury, or Noli me tan- 
gere, Authors fay it has a ftronger Purging Quality, 
but it is by Vomit, and therefore it is thought that 
Lomcerus and Tragus, did rank it among the 17- 
thy males, giving it fuch a Name, as neareft par- 
taking of their Natures and Qualities; and for 
this reafon I fuppofe it may be that Lobel and 
Pena, accounted it Deleterious or Deadly ; tho’ at 
the fame time they fay, it wants not its praife, as 
to its other Virtues : And Camerius in horto, lays 
that t he Difiilled Water of the Herb , is ap- 
plyed by lome, to places pained with the Gout 
with good Succefs. 
fcHAP. 
\ 
